MMBES Parent and Student Handbook

Dear Partners in Learning,

We want your child’s experience at Mary McLeod Bethune to be positive! Good lines of communication are an important part of this. This Family Handbook contains information that will help you throughout the year. Each Friday, we send out our Weekly Update phone call and email. This update includes upcoming events at our school and important calendar dates. You can also read out Weekly Update on our school’s website as well: http://valverdebes.ss4.sharpschool.com/

Please note: in an effort to save money, we will be sharing most of our information with you through our webpage and e-mail.

We are 18 years into the 21st Century and we, as a school, want to ensure that we are preparing our students well for life today and into the future. While literacy will always be important, it is simply not enough! We are one of two elementary schools who have been selected to be a STEAM school--focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. As the window on the old NCLB standards close, we are shifting our focus toward 21st Century learning and Common Core State Standards. Three key pieces of research are guiding us: 1) "A Framework for 21st Century Learning," 2) "Are They Really Ready for Work?" and 3) "STEM Jobs: Good Jobs Now and for the Future." Over the summer, all classrooms have been upgraded with WiFi (wireless Internet connections) and we have purchased Google Chromebooks for student-use in the classroom.

We are excited about our school’s direction and we cannot do it without your support. Please visit our new website for more information, contact your child’s teacher to find out how you can help, and get connected. Your help is a gift to this community and the volunteer process has been updated and streamlined. We will be hosting a number of events and workshops throughout the year, so please keep an eye out. Connect with our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), School SIte Council (SSC), or English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC).

Please contact us if you need additional information or assistance—we are here for your children, and are happy to help!